Wendy+Roe

SUMMARY: "Wendy,"' age 23, died during a legal abortion being performed in New York in 1972.

"Wendy" is one of the women listed on the Life Dynamics "Blackmun Wall" of women killed by [|safe and legal abortions].

Wendy was 23 years old and 16 weeks pregnant when she sought an abortion in 1972. Wendy's physician chose the [|saline technique], which worked by injecting a strong salt solution into the amniotic fluid. The fetus would inhale and swallow the fluid, causing massive internal hemorrhage. When the fetus died, the woman would go into labor.

Wendy's doctor overestimated the age of the fetus, and administered too much hypertonic saline. The saline got into Wendy's bloodstream. Wendy went into convulsions and developed disseminated intravascular coagulopahty (DIC), a clotting disorder. She died before expelling the fetus. She left two children motherless.

Sources: Life Dynamics "Blackmun Wall" citing: "Fatal Pulmonary Embolism During Legal Induced Abortion in the United States from 1972-1985," Lawson, Herschel W., MD, Atrash, Hani K., MD, MPH, Franks, Adele L., MD, //American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology//, Vol. 162, No. 4, April 1990, p. 986-990

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